Ascending, descending, and driving means for dirigible airships.



* J. 0. HUXFORD.

. ASCENDING, DESCENDING, AND DRIVING MEANS FOR DTRIGIBLE AIRSHIFS.

AR-PLICATION FILED 00T- 3l. 1M8. 1,302,048.. Patented Apr."29,1919.

wvemtoa ITED STATES Parana OFFICE.

JEBE onvm KUXFOBD', or wax-WEIGHT, ALABAMA.

, ascnnnme, nnscn imme, AND DRIVING finaiis roanrmernnn A'Ift'sn'ns;

1 'otzll whom 2'!) may concern fBe it k'nown thatI', Jean 0. flox'sono, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wainwright, in the county of- Monroe, State of Alabama, have invented a new and use ful" Ascending, Descending, and Driving Means for Diri'gible Airships; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved as cending, descending and drivin means for airships, particularly of the gasag type.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind having driving propellers at opposite ends of the car or body .of the airship, whereby increased power may be attained.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an engine or motor intermediate the two driving propellers, for imparting motion to the v, ropellers simultaneously, attractor shaft Being alined afiia llythrougli the body or car of the airship.

A further object of the invention is to provide the motor shaft with movable end sections having universal connections with the central section of the shaft and carrylng the driving propellers on their outer ends, whereby the propellers may be directed upwardly toward a perpendicular or directed to a horizontal position or partially downward toward a perpendicular.

A further object of the invention is theprovision of means for guiding said movable sections having said propellers.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for moving said sections.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts as hereinafter set forth shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings w Figure 1 is a view in section longitudinally through the body or car of an airship, showing the double driving propellers, and the motor shaft constructed, whereby the propellers may be turned upwardly toward perpendicular or to a horizontal, and the means for adjusting said sections.

Specification of Letters ream. P t nt r '29, 1919; *A ipli-cation fl'leii'oot'olier 31, 19 1s.- seminarians.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the guiding means of oneof the. movable sections of the moter shaft, and the means for mani mating the movable section.

Re rring' more especiallmo the drawings 1' designates the car-or y of the'air' ship which is suspended ineany conventional. manner from "a conventional form ofgas tube 2, and 3 denotes a' 'gasoleneinotor' or (angina-which may be of any conventional form or'coiistruct'ion'. However, thismotor isprovided with a driving sh'aftextending forwardly and rearwardly of the car or body and hasit's opposite ends in bearin of the forward and rear ends respectivg of the body. 'Gonnebted to the forward and rear ends of the motorshaft 'by-m'eans of universal joints are motor shaft sections 5,

said universal joints being designated" b' thenumber 6. Carri-ed by the'me tor slla sections are forward andrear drivingrocross head consists of the two parts 9 and 9,

secured in any suitable manner (not shown) to each other. Each cross head is provided with opposite guide recesses 9 for the reception of the walls of the guide slot. The U-shaped straps which constitute the guides are provided with arms 10*, and pivoted thereto are angular levers 10, and to one arm of each lever a link 10 is pivotally connected, which in turn is joined at 10 to the extension of the cross head, so that as the lever 10 is moved pivotally the motor shaft section 5 may be tilted upwardly or downwardly, as may be obvious. It is to be noted that the pivot of the lever 10 is axially concentric with the universal joint 6. Swiveled in bearin s 13" of the car or body is a turn buckle 13 aving a hand wheel 13", there being right and left threaded screws or rods 12 engaging the opposite ends of the turn buckle. ivotally connected to the outer ends of the screws or rods 12 are links let, which in turn are pivotally connected to the other arms of the levers 10. It is to be noted that the propeller 8 has its blades arranged, so that when the motor shaft is driven in the direction of the arrow (1, while the propeller 7 is allowed to remain idle the airship will be driven forwardly'thatis after ithas ascended. It, is to be noted that the propeller 7 has its blades twisted just'the opposite to the blades of the propeller 8,

' the propellers are at angles, the airship will ascend substantially in a perpendicular line. By moving the shaft sections. at angles downwardly, the airship will descend. However, after the airship has ascended,

' and it is desired to drive forwardly, the rear propeller may be uncoupled by means of a coupling device, This coupling device comprises the clutch members 4? and P, the clutch member 4? being fixed to one section .of :the engine shaft, while the other clutch member 4* is keyed to rotate with but slide ontheother section of the motor shaft, there being ,;a, lever & for adjusting the clutch member 4" into out of gear with the clutch member 4. The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is In a device as set forth, the combination with :1 body of an airship, of a motor driven shaft mounted therein and having bearings in the forward and rear ends of said body, motor shaft sections having universal connections with the opposite ends of the motor shaft, guides on the body, cross heads in the guides in bearings of which the motor shaft sections are mounted, angular levers pivotally mounted on the guides axially in alinement with the universal connections and having link connections with said cross heads, right and left threaded screws con nected to the angular levers and means con necting the right and left threaded screws for moving them toward and from each other whereby the motor shaft sections may be inclined upwardly or downwardly, and reversed bladed propellers carried by the motor shaft sections.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J ERE ORVIN HUXFORD.

Witnesses:

R. B lVILLI AMs, W. M. DARROLD.

Copies o t this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Estate,

. v Washington, 13.0. 

